Ryan Smith (businessman)

S. Ryan Smith
Born	(1978-06-28) June 28, 1978 Eugene, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, sports team owner
Years active	2000s–present
Known for	Co-founder of Qualtrics; owner of Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth; former co-owner of Real Salt Lake

S. Ryan Smith (born June 28, 1978) is an American billionaire entrepreneur and serves as chairman of Smith Entertainment Group. He is the executive chairman and co-founder of Qualtrics, a company specializing in experience management headquartered in Provo, Utah. Smith is also the proprietor of the Utah Jazz basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Utah Mammoth hockey team competing in the National Hockey League (NHL), both based in Salt Lake City. Previously, he held a co-ownership stake in Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer (MLS).

Early life and education

Born in Eugene, Oregon, Smith is the son of Scott Smith, a university professor, and Nancy Smith Hill, who earned a PhD in information systems. During his studies at the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University, he co-founded Qualtrics alongside his father and brother Jared. Smith left university in his junior year to dedicate himself fully to Qualtrics but later returned to complete his degree in 2016.

Utah Jazz

Smith purchased a controlling interest in the Utah Jazz NBA franchise from Gail Miller on October 28, 2020. The acquisition also included ownership of the Delta Center, the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League, and operational control over the Salt Lake Bees. The NBA gave unanimous approval for the transaction on December 18, 2020.

Utah Mammoth

Since 2022, Smith and his company, Smith Entertainment Group (SEG), have actively pursued establishing an NHL franchise in Salt Lake City through expansion or relocation efforts. In January 2024, SEG officially petitioned the NHL to begin an expansion process, indicating preparedness to host a team at either the existing Delta Center or a new arena. On April 18, 2024, the NHL awarded Smith an expansion franchise based in Utah. Rather than conducting an expansion draft, Smith acquired the hockey assets of the Arizona Coyotes from owner Alex Meruelo for $1.2 billion. Meruelo retained rights to the Coyotes name, enabling Smith to introduce a new team that competed as "Utah Hockey Club" during the 2024-25 season before adopting its permanent identity as the Utah Mammoth.

Real Salt Lake

In January 2022, Smith partnered with investor David Blitzer to purchase Real Salt Lake of MLS along with its stadium, America First Field, and affiliates including Real Monarchs and Zions Bank Stadium, acquiring these from former owner Dell Loy Hansen. The pair also reinstated the Utah Royals women's soccer team within the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2023 after its relocation to become the Kansas City Current in 2020. In April 2025, Smith divested his interests in Real Salt Lake, the Royals, and America First Field back to Gail Miller.

Personal life

Residing in Provo, Utah, Smith is married with five children and practices membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He completed a two-year missionary service in Mexico. In 2016, he was recognized on Fortunes "40 Under 40" list. As of January 7, 2025, Forbes values his net worth at approximately US$2.2 billion, placing him among the top 1,500 wealthiest individuals worldwide.